A fireballing righthander, Guerrieri used his fastball and a nasty array of breaking pitches to stifle Honesdale hitters.

Mitchell worked five innings on Opening Day en route to the decision. He allowed just three hits and one run while piling up eight strikeouts.

"He's our number one, no question about it," Coach Lorady said. "For an eighth grader, his mechanics are picture perfect. Mitch can overpower you, but he can also move the ball around and hit his spots."

Page 2 of 3 - Paupack scratched out a 2-1 lead through four, but then broke things wide open in the final three frames.

The Buckhorns pushed across 12 runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to seal the deal on a lopsided win.

Chris Brindle paced the Paupack attack. Another eighth grader who pitches and plays first, Brindle leads off for the Bucks.

On Thursday, he reached base five times on three walks and a pair of singles. Brindle tallied two runs and drove in two more.

"Chris Brindle is one of the best all-round baseball players I've ever coached at this level," Coach Lorady said. "He can hit, pitch and play Gold Glove defense."

Austin Gilpin also dazzled at the dish and in the field.

An eighth grader who serves as a tri-captain with Guerrieri and Brindle, Gilpin will bat in the 3-hole and split time defensively between short and third.

Paupack's talented young infielder doubled in the top of the first, worked a pair of walks and scored three runs.

"Austin is solid with the bat and can play anywhere on the infield," said Coach Lorady. "He's a good hitter and with a good glove."

Corbin Babyak also earned high marks from his mentor. Another returner who starts at second, Babyak is a steady presence in the middle infield and at the top of the order.

"Corbin is the perfect kid to have batting second," said Coach Lorady. "He can poke singles anywhere and handles the bat really well."

Over & Out

Weather permitting, the Bucks are scheduled to be back in action Wednesday afternoon at Ding-Del.

First pitch for this contest is set for 4:30 p.m.

Page 3 of 3 - Coach Lorady, who is in his eighth year at the junior high helm is excited about this team's prospects.

"Having all those eighth graders back is huge," he said. "My three captains especially are giving us excellent leadership so far."